I let my sweet boy go today after a long battle of stomach cancer. I love him more than anything. I had him for nearly 7 years, but those 7 years were the best years of my life. Please fly safe my love. I'll see you again soon. Say hi to Mom and Riley for me.
So I posted Friday that my 18 year old was diagnosed via bloodwork with kidney failure. I started the kidney diet food and medication (mirtazipine) yesterday since Saturday I was not going to be home to monitor her. Yesterday she definitely seemed to be perked up more even a little more talkative (she’s always been a chatty girl). Today has been even better. She’s been more interactive and coming out on her own to be fed. She even came out at our supper time (pic of her in the act) to check out what I was eating and yes I let her have a few SMALL bites of my fish. It wasn’t overly seasoned and nothing that’s toxic to cats. I am hoping that she continues to at least make even small improvements. She’s also still using the litter box regularly which she pretty much has been so thankfully no changes there. The vet said I can give it about a month and we can repeat labs or obviously return sooner if she goes backwards. Praying my girl just still hangs in there 🙏🏼 it’s so encouraging to see any little bits of kitty normalcy. Link to original post https://www.reddit.com/r/SeniorCats/s/mw7F9TgvQV
My beautiful girl Jules passed yesterday. She was a great friend. Miss her terribly!
Just kidding, but it does have that aesthetic 😹 Mr. Chuckles and his very elderly mother Mamee were adopted from our shelter last year. Mamee is doing well but Chuckles was sadly returned to our shelter a week ago. He is back up for adoption from Orphan Angels Cat Sanctuary in Erie, PA!
My girl decided on her own that last night was her time to go. I’m absolutely heartbroken and I honestly don’t know what life looks like without her. She was my best friend, and my whole world basically revolved around her. I had just bought her more treats to make sure she was stocked up too.
For a little update, when we took her to the vet it was really obvious she wasn’t fully there with us anymore. The vet touched her back legs and they were ice cold, and when she listened to her heart she said it was beating very slowly. Her circulation was just failing from old age. I asked about putting her to sleep, but the vet told us she wasn’t in any pain and would pass on her own in time.
So we brought her home, and my boyfriend and I held her and cuddled her until she decided she was ready to go. She passed peacefully in her sleep, knowing she was loved right up to the very end. She was my everything, and I honestly don’t know how to move forward from here.
The picture is from about a week ago, it’s just her lying on her heating pad.
After having my sweet baby Halle for her entire life of 17 years, it was time to let her go. I’m so heartbroken and it feels like a piece of me is missing. Maybe I’ll feel a little better once I get her ashes back. It was so hard to leave her there. I miss her so much but I am so thankful for the time I had with her. My soul cat forever.
Also saw yesterday that it was national tortie day 😔💔
Writing this post as I feel like I have no one I know that shares my love for cats or truly understands the pain I’m feeling.
I won’t go into detail but one of my cats probably has GI lymphoma. We can’t be 100% because he’s FIV positive and has anemia, so they can’t do certain exams to know for sure. All symptoms, ultrasounds and past history point to it.
I am truly struggling. While I do have other cats, I have such a soft spot for my baby. He is the sweetest, most loving, cuddliest cat I know. I rescued him when he was skin and bones (already an adult) and I’ve had him for about 6-7 years. He’s always been such a happy, sweet cat. He doesn’t bite, scratch or even hiss (only when outside cats come near our house).
I think I’ve got more attached to him due to the scares we’ve had over the years: an infection on his tail and episodes of bad anemia in the past. I took care of him to my best ability, loved him, gave him his medicine at the right times, countless vet appointments.
He’s always cuddled me a lot but with this diagnosis he doesn’t seem to want to do it. He still sunbathes, purrs, enjoys being pet and loves being in his little box and making biscuits.
Currently, he’s on pred and other meds to help him with nausea. He doesn’t eat much but still enjoys liquid snacks, chicken, some wet food… He has lost some weight and slowed down.
I am thankful for the 2 months (after a big scare) I’ve had with him. He’s still here but I’m mourning already, knowing I’ll have to let go. It’s messing with my head and I’m already crying while typing this. I know I did well, I know he’s been truly and extremely loved. But I’m still so, so devastated. It’s affecting my performance in university, my personal relationships.
Any tips for me? I’m really struggling.
My girl is 20 years old this year. She just got what appears to be a tooth abscess. She's going in for dental surgery on Monday. I'm worried but trying to be in good spirits. She's very healthy for her age. Blood work came back great. Wish us luck.
This brave Toaster has many more years left.
She’s truly my angel and I can’t imagine life without her. I’ve had her since 10th or 11th grade and I’ll be 30 in a month, she’s been with me through everything I’ve dealt with in my teens and 20s and I’m so grateful that she was sent to me 🥹
His exact birthday is a little fuzzy, but mid April is the time! Melvin is the best guy and while he has slowed down a little in his older age he can still pounce around like a kitten! I spoil him with greenie treats, churus, and the occasional dank nip. He seems to love his Science Diet 11+. We take walks at least once and day and try to soak up the sunrays often. Happy Birthday sir Melvin!!
My all-time favourite photo of him as a kitten, and one of him keeping my wife company in her office included ❤️
My precious boy Link (just shy of 11yrs old) was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. By the time he showed any signs at all, it had already metastasised through both of his lungs. His regular vet has been incredibly kind and compassionate all the way through, and gently advised us that he would likely decline quickly over the coming days. In the last 24 hours, he has refused food altogether and won't accept much water even via syringe, which is why we've decided that it's the right time to let him go. I'm in the process of scheduling a vet to come to our home to facilitate, so that he can be somewhere familiar surrounded by family when he goes to sleep.
My wife and I are completely heartbroken. I adopted this little guy at 8 weeks old from a local rescue I had been donating to. He was found roadside in a cardboard box with around 4-5 of his littermates. As soon as they opened his enclosure at the rescue, he immediately jumped out into my arms - 20 minutes later he was in the car with me, on the way to his new home.
This was around two years before my wife and I met. As soon as she met Link, she immediately became his person - he's been absolutely obsessed with her from day one. Their bond is so incredibly strong.
Link has four siblings - our two other cats and our two dogs, who all adore him (and vice versa). It's gut wrenching thinking about what it will be like without him in the house.
I don't post on Reddit often and I'm not sure why I feel so inclined to post this specifically, but I feel like I need to help balance out the grief I'm already feeling in anticipation for saying goodbye tomorrow with knowing that I'm doing the right thing for him, ensuring he doesn't have to experience further pain or discomfort.
If you're reading this, I'd love to see photos of your cats (either still with you or at peace) and maybe your favourite 'quirk' or behaviour they had?
My favourite thing Link would do is stick the top of his head up and offer it to you if you'd approach him making a kissing sound. He also used to love being (very gently) tossed onto a big beanbag as a kitten and would come straight back to me waiting for me to do it again.
I'm going to miss him so much.
Puppycat is my baby girl, she saved my life and protected me more than I can describe.
She held me every night until her final days, I hate blaming myself so I thought maybe I could do something positive and share her beautiful self and talk about her!
If anyone has any question about p, please ask away, it helps, thank you. :”)
My old man has been struggling with IDB for over a month now. He was on prednisolone, tylosin, metronidazole, weekly B12 shots, cerenia, probiotics and Hills I/D food (we did try the Z/D formula but it didn't help). His poops eventually because stable but not great
Last week his glucose spiked. The vet suspects steroid induced diabetes is the cause. So we just started weening him off the prednisolone. Now without the steroid protection his IBD has roared back in a big way. I'm not getting any real answers or a plan on how to treat his now inflamed gut.
We will recheck his glucose next week to see if the numbers drop after taking him off the prednisone.
Has anyone had any success treating IBD without steroids? I read that budesonide might be an option because it works differently than prednisolone. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
